Storms Boelo and Austen leave 800,000 homes without power and one fatality

Over a three-day period, Storm Austen followed by Storm Boelo produced gusts up to 76 mph, cutting electricity to an estimated 838,700 British properties and leaving roughly 90,600 customers still without power by Sunday evening, according to the Energy Networks Association. The storms claimed the life of a 60-year-old man struck by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, and injured two women in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross.

First Minister John Swinney convened senior politicians, emergency responders and forecasters to manage the crisis, and Transport Scotland’s Stuart Wilson warned that extensive repair work is required before normal service resumes. Scottish Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville urged travelers to consult official sources as travel disruptions are expected to continue, with a Met Office yellow warning for strong winds across northern England, Scotland and the northeast of Northern Ireland. Flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and transport services—including flights, trains and major roads—faced cancellations and restrictions.